Masks of Our Hearts
by gamer4
Summary: A simple game quickly becomes much more when it ends up giving Teams RWBY and JNPR exactly the power they need to defend Vale from a brand-new invasion. Not from grimm, but from shadows. Not the power of dust, but the power of persona. Based on Persona: Revelations.
1. The Butterfly

Gamer4 in. I hate myself- that's the only possible conclusion I can draw from this. I have plenty of stories I could continue working on, especially coming off of finishing a rather long one- I could continue the Mario Mario series, for instance. Wave Existence knows that story's overdue for an update. If I wanted to stick to RWBY for a little longer, I have a series of oneshots I could dabble in, or yet another story that needs finishing. So what do I do? Start up a brand new story, which, depending on its reception, may well be the first in a series- more on that later. For now, welcome, one and all, to this newest story from my soda-addled mind. For this story, we shall be taking the events of the video game _Persona: Revelations _and giving them a fine RWBY polish. _Persona: Revelations _happens to be the first installment in the ongoing Persona franchise- whether that will entice anyone to read further, drive them away, or change nothing at all, I'm not sure. For those who _are _enticed by the idea, I will forewarn you- _Revelations _is rather different from the installments that came later, so what follows may not necessarily be what you expect. Consider this whole thing dipping my toe in the water with a new idea- we'll see how things go. Until then, let's get funky!

Disclaimer: As ever, you get _one _legitimate disclaimer, then we turn on Disclaimer Radio. Persona belongs to Atlus Software, RWBY to Monty Oum, and nobody else. I may end up owning precisely one (1) character(s) in this story, but we'll see about that, too. I hope you enjoyed that disclaimer; like as not, it's the only one you'll be getting.

The Masks of our Hearts

Chapter I

The Butterfly

"_Once, I dreamt I was a butterfly. I forgot myself, knowing only my joy as a butterfly. As time passed, I awoke, and was myself again. Still, the thought occurs... did I truly dream that I was a butterfly? Or do I now dream that I am a man?"_

_The girl opened her eyes, floating through empty space, drawn towards a deep, rumbling voice up ahead. _

"_However, there _is _a distinction between myself and the butterfly- the transformation of the physical."_

_At last, something appeared upon the horizon- an enormous pillar soaring up into the sky. At the very top was a circular platform, covered in a red carpet, a small circular dais in the center. Around the platform's edges were several gold pillars holding up an ivory ceiling. The girl's eyes widened in wonder as she floated down and landed gently in front of the dais._

_There was a man upon it- he must have been six and a half feet tall, at least. He was dressed primarily in white- white pants and a white longcoat closed over a black shirt and tie. His brown hair was long, pulled into a ponytail that seemed to flutter behind him despite the lack of wind. His face was hidden behind a porcelain mask- blank white on one side, the pattern of a butterfly's wing painted onto the other. _

_Despite the strangeness of the man, the girl wasn't afraid- much as heat radiated from a fire, comfort radiated from the man. She sensed she could trust him, that everything would be okay while she stood in his presence. _

_The man bowed deeply, speaking once more in that deep, rumbling voice- even that seemed to fill the girl with contentment. "Welcome. It is a pleasure to meet you at last."_

"_And... who are you?" the girl asked, before cringing at her own perceived rudeness._

_The man, however, chuckled. "Do not worry, my child. My name is Philemon. I am a dweller between worlds... the world of the conscious, and the world of the unconscious."_

"_I... I don't understand," the girl shook her head in confusion._

"_Answers will come in time, child," Philemon said reassuringly. "But first, I am afraid I must ask you to pass a simple test. Can you tell me your name?"_

"_Oh, that's easy!" the girl smiled brightly. "It's_

XXXX

"-Ruby!"

"Huh?" Ruby snapped out of her daydream at the sound of her partner's voice. "Wait, what's going on again?"

She glanced quickly around the room, filled with her sister, Yang Xiao Long, her partner, Weiss Schnee, and most of their neighboring team, JNPR- Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, and Nora Valkyrie. Pyrrha, she'd been given to understand, was out in Vale at the moment- her place was instead filled by the monkey faunus, Sun Wukong, looking upon the current situation with mild amusement.

"Nora's still pushing for us to play that childish game of hers," Weiss relayed, rolling her eyes heavily. "As if anything will actually _happen._"

"Well, if nothing's gonna happen, why not do it, Ice Queen?" Nora challenged. "Scared? _Chicken?_"

"I am _not _a chicken!" Weiss bristled at the accusation.

"Bawk!" Nora taunted, raising her hands to her pits and flapping her arms like wings. "Bawk bawk buck-awk!"

Weiss let out a growl of frustration, leaving Yang to intervene. "Look, Nora, I'm as interested as anyone else to see this game you're talking about, but I was about to head down to Vale to visit Blake-"

"You don't _understand!_" Nora countered. "If the game goes well, we could find a way to _heal _Blake!"

Yang hesitated, turning her gaze towards Nora's childhood friend, Ren. "...And what do _you _have to say about this, Renny?"

"I don't know if I'd go _that _far," Ren shook his head. "However... there is _some _truth to Nora's claim. It seems Team CFVY attempted the game a few days ago. I can't vouch for what exactly it was, but something mystical _did _happen."

Weiss scoffed. "Nonsense- there's no such thing as magic!"

Yang laughed out loud. "Says the most magical member of our team!"

"It's not _magic!_" Weiss fired back. "I can summon glyphs, yes, but that's just my semblance- semblances and dust!"

"You mean... magic?" Yang countered with a smirk.

"You are unbelievable!" Weiss threw her hands up in exasperation.

"I don't know, I think summoning more of myself is pretty magical," Sun threw his two lien in.

"And _you _can just shut up!" Weiss screeched.

"Calm down, Snow Angel, calm down!" Jaune interjected, raising his arms.

"_I thought I told you to stop calling me that!_"

"I just thought we could settle this with a vote!" Jaune cried out rapid-fire.

Weiss hesitated. "A vote, huh?"

"Yeah- there are seven of us- we can decide through a vote whether we try this game or not."

"Oh! Oh! I wanna do it!" Nora cried immediately, jumping up in the air. "I wanna do it!"

"Go figure," Weiss scoffed. "It's all childish nonsense- I vote against."

"Alright... Yang?" Jaune asked, turning towards his fellow blond.

"Well... like I said, I'd _usually _be alright with it, but I don't wanna keep Blakey waiting... so no, let's pass."

Ren opened his mouth, but Nora cut him off. "Renny's all for it, right, Renny?"

Ren closed his mouth, the corners twitching up in a smile. "Of course, Nora."

"Two for, two against- Sun?"

"It all sounds well and good," the monkey boy shrugged, "but I told Neptune I'd meet up with him later- probably best to give it a pass."

"Three against now..." Jaune mused. "Well, as for me-"

"You're not gonna back down, are ya, fearless leader?" Nora immediately wrapped her arms around him in a bonebreaking hug. "You wouldn't betray your own!"

"Nora... can't vote... if you're choking..."

"Oh, sorry. Well?"

Jaune rubbed his chest for a moment before shrugging. "I mean, if _Ren _saw something, it makes me curious. I vote for."

Ruby felt herself shrinking as everyone turned their gaze towards her. "Oh, uh... heheh..."

"You're the tiebreaker, Rubes," Yang offered. "We gonna do it, or not?"

"Well..."

"Come on, you _know _you wanna side with me!" Nora pleaded with wide eyes. "Maybe the game will make cookies fall from the sky!"

"Ridiculous!" Weiss countered. "There aren't even any _semblances _to make such a thing happen! But if we play this asinine game, Ruby, we likely won't have time to stop at any bakeries on the way home from the hospital!"

"Er..."

"We already have cookies here," Ren pointed out gently. "She's already got quite the stash of her own."

"Yeah, but _nothing _compares to the cookies _I _make!" Yang declared proudly.

"You'd hold cookies hostage from your own sister?!" Nora asked, aghast.

"I didn't say that," Yang shrugged. "I just wanted to brag."

"Oh, you insufferable-" Weiss began, but was cut off by Ruby closing her eyes and screaming,

"I vote _for!_"

Silence fell- at least until Weiss turned on her. "_Really, _Ruby? Every time I think you're overcoming your childishness-"

"It's not like that!" Ruby countered. "It's just... it' s just... Nora said it might be able to help Blake... and if there's anything that can do that..."

The sight of her looking down, tapping her index fingers together in apparent shame, proved too much for the heiress. "Very well... I suppose it wouldn't hurt _too _much..."

Nora whooped. "Alright, let's get this room set up!"

"I _still _say nothing's gonna happen," Weiss grumbled.

"Wanna bet, Ice Queen?" Nora challenged, turquoise eyes glimmering. "How about this- if the game works, you haveta treat us all to all-you-can-eat down at A Simple Wok!"

"And _when _nothing happens?" Weiss challenged.

"The other way around! I'll pay for all-you-can-eat at whatever restaurant you want!"

"_Any _restaurant?" Weiss asked skeptically.

"Er... maybe you should let _me _choose the restaurant," Yang interjected, smirking at her white-haired friend. "I'm guessing Weiss would have you take us out to some fancy-schmancy restaurant where you'd have to empty your entire bank account just for an appetizer."

"Right!" Nora nodded without missing a beat. "Any place _Yang _wants!"

Weiss sighed. "Can you just show us how to set this all up so we can get it _overwith, _already?"

"Of course, of course!" Nora nodded eagerly. "Now, three of us stand in the middle of the room..."

Ultimately, Ruby, Yang, and Jaune were chosen to take their place in the center of the classroom Nora had chosen, standing in a triangular formation, while Nora, Weiss, Ren, and Sun stood in the four corners.

Sun grinned as he waited for the others to take their positions. "Mind if I start us up, Nora?" he asked.

"Not at all!" Nora called back eagerly.

Sun shrugged before crossing the room to Ren's corner, calling out as he did so- "Persona, Persona, come on out!"

Ren gave a small smile as Sun arrived, before turning and leaving, the monkey faunus taking his place as he moved towards Nora's corner. "Persona, Persona... please come forth."

Nora wriggled in excitement as Ren took her corner, practically bouncing across the room to Weiss's corner. "Persona, Persona- come out, already!"

Weiss hesitated, her lips pursed as Nora arrived. "I still say this is stupid."

"Oh, come on, Weissy! All you can eeeaaaat!" Nora implored.

Weiss rolled her eyes before crossing the room to the corner formerly occupied by Sun. "Persona, Persona... come out, I guess."

Then... they waited.

...And waited.

And waited.

...And waited a little more.

Weiss finally broke the silence, grumbling out, "There you go, Nora, you've made me look like an idiot- are we done now?"

"Relax, Ice Queen, we _all _look like idiots," Yang assured her. "Come on, guys- looks like Nora's treating us today."

"No!" Nora objected. "We- we need to do it again! Weiss wasn't even trying!"

"Don't try to pin this on me!" Weiss shot back, eyes narrowing.

Ruby shrunk away from the conflict, only for her silver eyes to widen when she saw something else. "Guys..."

"You need to do it with heart!" Nora insisted.

"How can I put heart into something so _childish?!_"

"Guys!"

"What about _you, _Ren?!" Nora asked, turning to her childhood friend. "_You _saw what happened when CFVY did it, right?!"

"I saw _something,_" Ren nodded.

"Are you sure you aren't just saying things to help your girlfriend?" Yang asked suggestively, waggling her eyebrows.

"Dangit, Yang, we're _not _together-together!"

"GUYS!" Ruby raised her voice, finally catching everyone's attention. "We're- over there!"

"What you seein', Rubes?" Yang asked. "Ya get caught up in the moment and- AH!"

She yelped as she finally saw what Ruby had seen- a young girl standing just in front of the teacher's desk. She was short- shorter even than Ruby and Weiss- looking up at them all with deep lilac eyes, short black hair barely reaching her neck, matching the color of her pitch black dress.

Overcoming her surprise, Yang was the first to recover. "Hey, there, little girl... where did _you _come from?"

The girl looked up at her, before beginning to glow- a bright light seemed to pour out of her as she opened her mouth. "Help me," she seemed to whisper and scream- all at the same time.

Before anyone else could move, she vanished, a sudden roaring wind wiping her form away.

"What's going on?!" Nora cried.

"You're the expert- shouldn't _you _know?!" Weiss challenged.

"Maybe, but-"

Her words were drowned out by the sound of thunder. A moment later, a lightning bolt seemed to come out of nowhere, striking down on Sun Wukong, who let out a cry before collapsing to the ground, unconscious.

"SUN!" Ruby cried, dashing towards him. Before she got anywhere near, another bolt struck- this time landing right on Lie Ren, whose eyes widened in surprise before he crumpled to the floor.

"RENNY!" Nora shrieked- any further reaction was cut off by her being struck by her own lightning bolt, following her friends to the ground.

Ruby's eyes widened further- Nora's semblance was supposed to _protect _her from lightning- if even _she _wasn't immune...

"We gotta get out of here!" she called.

"You don't say, you-" Weiss began, before a lightning bolt struck her, too.

"Yang!" Ruby cried, raising her arms above her head.

"I've got ya, Rubes!" her sister cried, wrapping her arms protectively around her.

"Guys, I think another one's coming!" Jaune called, rushing towards them.

One final bolt struck, managing to hit all three students that still remained. Ruby's eyes cracked open long enough to see the flash of light before the shock coursed through her body- and then... silence.

XXXX

"_Once, I dreamt I was a butterfly..."_

"_Who are you?"_

"_My name is Philemon."_

"_I don't understand!"_

"_Can you tell me your name?"_

_The girl actually found herself struggling to think for a second, before smiling brightly. "Oh, that's easy! It's Ruby Rose!"_

_The man sounded pleased as he responded. "Wonderful. I see I chose well- there are very few who can keep hold of their identity within this domain. You have passed the test."_

_Already convinced that she was experiencing a bizarre dream of some sort, Ruby decided to act as she would in a dream- "So, do I get a prize?" she asked, silver eyes shining._

_The man chuckled again. "A prize, hmm? Perhaps I can arrange something. Tell me, are you aware of those who reside within you?"_

"_Those who reside... within me?" Ruby repeated, confused._

"_The many faces of your heart," Philemon continued. "Can you usher forth the Ruby Rose suffused with divine love? Have you made peace with the Ruby Rose capable of unspeakable cruelty?"_

"_No, I... I still don't understand," Ruby admitted._

"_People live by shifting through various masks- the mask you wear when speaking with your sister, the mask you wear upon the battlefield, the mask you wear among your friends. Even the person who speaks to me now is but one of the masks worn by the true Ruby Rose."_

"_Ummmmm..."_

"_Don't worry about it for now," Philemon shook his head. "I can see you have a particularly firm grip on your own identity. Yes, I shall give you a prize- I shall grant you access to the power that lurks within."_

_Philemon raised a hand, and within his palm, a mask appeared, seemingly woven from light- at a glance, it seemed as though it would be a perfect match for Ruby's own face. "The power of Persona. I grant you power over the gods and demons that reside within your soul. Should you ever find yourself in need of their help... simply open your eyes and call their name."_

_The mask faded into a stream of light that seemed to flow towards Ruby, entering her chest, filling it with warmth. She looked back up at the man, struggling for anything to say._

_As if reading her mind, Philemon shook his head again. "It is not necessary to speak further now- for now, it is time for you to return to your world- the world of the conscious. I'm sure we'll see each other again soon..."_

_The world around began to fade away. Ruby looked around a moment as everything shifted towards a solid white before returning her gaze to Philemon- who had disappeared. In his place was a large blue butterfly, already fluttering away._

XXXX

"So... we all had the same dream, huh?"

"That is, indeed, what it sounds like. Loathe as I am to admit it, it is quite an extraordinary circumstance."

"You think Rubes is having the same dream now?"

"What... what dream?" Ruby asked groggily as she cracked her eyes open, revealing a sterile white ceiling.

"Ruby!" came the cry of her sister- a moment later, she found herself being crushed in Yang's arms. "We were so worried about you!"

"Ease off a bit, there, Yang," came Sun's voice. "You don't want her to have to stay here, do ya?"

"Oh- of course not," Yang agreed, pulling away. "I'm just glad to see she's alright, you know?"

"As am I," Weiss nodded, "but that doesn't mean-"

"Aw, you _do _care, Ice Queen!" Yang cut her off, eyes alight with mischief. "You're so sweet!"

"What happened?" Ruby asked again, rubbing at her pounding head. "Last thing I remember, we were all playing that Persona game Nora was talking about..."

"Do you remember the girl?" Sun asked.

"The girl... yeah, now that you say it, I think I remember something like that."

"Then we all got struck by lightning," Weiss continued.

"I guess that explains why my head hurts so much," Ruby grumbled, leaning back on her pillow. Pillow? Of course- they were in the infirmary. "Where's Jaune and the others?"

"Ozpin took them away for questioning," Weiss explained. "He let us off the hook for now- because you had yet to wake up, I'd imagine."

"Weissy was so worried about you," Yang butted in, her face taken by a wide grin. "It was just like the finale of _The Star-Crossed Lovers- _it took Sun and me together to stop her from-"

"Yang, shut up!" Weiss interjected, cheeks red with anger. "Of _course _I was concerned for her- she's our team leader, after all!"

"I knew you cared!" Ruby piped up, nearly repeating her sister's earlier words verbatim.

Weiss looked like she was on the verge of stamping her foot in frustration. "Urgh! You are all _unbelievable!_"

Sun chuckled along with the sisters before turning to Ruby. "All that aside... did you have a dream about a butterfly too, Rubes?"

"'Too?'" Ruby repeated. "You mean, you guys all saw him, too?"

"That's what we were talking about," Yang nodded.

"D'you think this has something to do with the game?" Ruby asked.

"That's what Yang n' me were thinkin'," Sun nodded, "but then Ice Queen said-"

"That's ridiculous," Weiss interrupted. "First off, it's _not _Ice Queen- second, it's 'Yang and _I,' _and _third, _just because we all had a similar dream after that game doesn't mean it's _because _of the game!"

"After the game, _and _seeing some ghost girl, _and _getting struck by lightning," Yang countered. "I think even Blake-"

"Blake's not _here!_" Weiss countered fiercely, before suddenly backing off, looking far more solemn. "Blake... Blake's not here."

Smiles slid off of everyone's faces at the mention of the missing team member- the girl in black who had spent the last several months in a hospital.

Ruby bit her lip before forcing a smile for the others' sake. "Well, that doesn't mean we can't get her opinion! We were planning on heading out to meet her today anyways, weren't we?!"

Yang broke into a grin of her own. "Yeah- that's right! I'm _sure _she'll have a good take on the whole situation!"

Weiss allowed a small smile to cross her face as well. "Assuming she hasn't read a few too many books- she might be losing the ability to tell what's real and what's not."

"That reminds me," Sun snapped his fingers. "I was gonna stop by the library and pick up another book or two for her to read!"

Yang smirked at him. "Try if you want, loverboy- we all know she likes _my _books better!"

"Wanna bet?" Sun grinned at the challenge. "Let's both snag some books, let _her _decide whose she likes best!"

"You're on!"

"Wait, you two!" Weiss shouted as they dashed out of the infirmary. "Ugh... _blondes!_"

"Come on, Weiss, we gotta go with them!" Ruby called, moving to leap to her feet, only to be forced back into bed by Weiss's firm hand.

"Oh, no you don't!" she growled. "We're not leaving until Dr. Peach comes and formally releases you!"

"But Weiss-"

"Ahbupbupbup! Not... without... Peach's... clearance!"

Ruby sighed. "Okay..." She looked down at her sheets. "I just want to go and see Blake..."

Weiss faltered under the barrage of adorableness that was her partner. "Oh, fine- I'll go find her and let her know you're up. I doubt she'll keep you here for too long."

Ruby perked up at the news. "Thanks, Weiss! You're the best!"

Weiss blushed a little at the praise. "And... don't you forget it!" she said firmly as she moved next-door, leaving her partner quivering in excitement in her wake.

Just outside the window, a small blue butterfly gazed in a little longer before pushing off and fluttering away.

_XXXX_

_Really _nervous to see what people think of this- my last attempt... let's just say it didn't go particularly well. As far as placement in canon goes, I suppose this takes place between volumes 2 and 3- there may be minor deviations, but those will be pointed out as they become relevant. Overall, it will be far more canon-conforming that my previous two RWBY stories, splitting mainly as necessary. There _is _one character from Persona for whom I'm strongly considering utilizing an OC, but that's something I feel I ought to run by the readers before I make any final decisions- he wouldn't follow a lot of the worst trends that Ocs tend to follow, and wouldn't even be a super-major part of the story, but given the stigma surrounding such things... I leave it to you. If you wish to comment, or just to let me know how you feel about this whole thing in general, I invite you to please R&R, constructive criticism and questions embraced, Gamer4 out.


	2. Prelude

Gamer4 in. Well, we're starting off on the right foot- nice long hiatus right off the bat! Hurrah! (Sarcasm self-check complete.) Yeah, sorry... leave it to me to pull something like this... but let's dive right back in like we never left off! Before we get started, a quick thanks to my beta reader, (or _tactician, _as he likes to refer to himself,) GeorgeKYST, for putting up with me spitballing ideas in the middle of the night, and to Breenut for once more providing me with a fantastic cover image! You two are as awesome as ever. To ensure your efforts don't go to waste, let's get going!

Disclaimer: For the first of one songs on Disclaimer Radio, we present a Queen classic- ahem. Tonight, I'm gonna have myself a real good time! I feel alive!

Chapter II

Prelude

It didn't take long at all for Weiss to return with Dr. Peach in tow, and even less time for Ruby to be given a clean bill of health. The first place the two went upon leaving the infirmary was the library, where, sure enough, they found Sun and Yang rushing around the shelves in search of the perfect reading material to present to Blake.

"This looks good!" Yang called out, ignoring the steady glare of the librarian as she waved around a tome roughly the size of a phone book. "Oughtta keep her occupied for a while!"

"It ain't the size, Yangey, it's what's inside!" Sun countered as he picked up a marginally thinner book.

"You _would _say that, wouldn't you?" Yang smirked.

Any retort Sun might have offered was cut off as Weiss appeared at Yang's side and pulled her away by her ear. "You two are unbelievable!" she growled as she dragged her away, blushing furiously. "You're in a _library, _for Dust's sake!"

"Ow- ow- Weiss- ear!" Yang objected weakly as Weiss forced her away. Sun allowed himself a brief smile before trotting after them, Ruby bringing up the rear with a confused expression on her face. The librarian watched them go with a look of heavy exasperation on his face.

"Why are you so upset with her, Weiss?" Ruby asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Yeah, Weiss- why?" Yang followed up with a smirk. "I was only teasing Sun over the size of his- _ow!_"

"Talking in the library!" Weiss hissed evasively as she delivered another sharp tug to Yang's ear. "That's all! Nothing else!"

"But-"

"_Will Weiss Schnee come to my office, please? Will Weiss Schnee please come to my office? Thank you."_

The unmistakable sound of Professor Ozpin's voice rang over the intercom, causing Weiss to look up and finally release her grip on Yang. "What? Ozpin's office? What could _he _want?"

"Ohh, Weissy!" Yang returned to her taunting. "Have you been a _naughty _girl?"

Weiss fixed Yang with a death glare. "Yang Xiao Long, I've been pulling on your _ear _out of mercy. Keep going like this, and next time, it'll be your _hair._"

"You wouldn't!" Yang gasped dramatically, pulling away and running some comforting hands through her golden locks.

"Try me. I _dare _you."

Weiss turned and strutted down the hallway in the direction of Ozpin's office, leaving Yang to glance from Ruby's mild concern to Sun's barely-repressed smirk. "Well, if you wanna call her bluff, I'll be right here as your witness."

"Shut up," she finally muttered, looking at the ground in defeat. "Let's go see what Old Man Oz wants her for."

XXXX

Despite her frustrations, Weiss permitted her friends to catch up with her outside Ozpin's door before reaching out to knock. "Enter," came Ozpin's characteristically calm voice.

Weiss sighed as she pushed the door open. "With all due respect, I'd appreciate it if we could- _Klein?_"

Two people were already in the office- one was its owner, Ozpin, smiling gently behind his desk as he sipped from a coffee mug. On the other side of the desk was a short, portly man in a dark suit. His hair was brown, outside the large bald patch atop his head, and when he looked at Weiss, his eyes lit up, his large moustache twitching upwards in a smile.

"Oh, my little snowflake!" he greeted her, moving forward and pulling her into a hug, heedless to the large blush this brought to her cheeks. "When Ozpin told me you were in the infirmary, I was so worried!"

When he finally released her, Weiss did her best not to look in Yang's direction, but she could hear the grin on her face nonetheless. "So... _this _is your father, Weiss? Doesn't seem all that bad to me."

"Not her father, I'm afraid," the man denied, turning his gaze towards Ruby, Yang, and Sun. "Merely her butler. Klein Sieben, pleased to meet you."

Yang looked as though Christmas had come early. "Her... her _butler?_" she asked, struggling to keep her laughter under control.

"One of many, I'm sure," Sun couldn't help butting in, a near-identical smirk on his face.

"You're very perceptive, young man," Klein chortled as he offered his hand to Sun as well.

"So you... you do things for Weiss? Like clean her house, and bring her cakes and stuff?" Ruby asked, silver eyes lighting up.

"Among other things," Klein conceded. "And you must be Weiss's team leader, Ms. Rose, correct?"

Ruby laughed nervously. "Well, yeah... yeah, I am..."

"She speaks very highly of you, I'm sure you'll be glad to hear," Klein assured her with a warm smile not unlike what he'd given to Weiss herself.

"Klein, that's enough!" Weiss interjected, growing redder with each interaction. "Why are you here?"

"Does an old man _need _a reason to check on his little snow angel?" Klein asked, moustache twitching again as he looked fondly on the girl.

Staggering and spluttering as she struggled to ignore Yang and Sun cracking up behind them, Weiss finally forced herself to say, "Well, no, I suppose... but it's quite a ways to travel just to say hello, especially when a call on my scroll would have sufficed."

"You have me there," Klein chuckled, raising his hands in mock-surrender. "You always _were _wise beyond your years. The truth is, your whole _family _is here, visiting Vale's branch of the Schnee Dust Company. They wouldn't give me the details, but there's apparently something large going on at headquarters."

"That's the first _I've _heard of this," Weiss crossed her arms.

"Well, I'd _like _to tell you more," Klein shrugged, "but like I said, they didn't give _me _any details either."

"Everyone's here?" Weiss asked. "Father? Whitley?"

"Even Winter is here," Klein nodded. "Of course, she has no obligation to the company anymore, but General Ironwood saw fit to have her oversee... whatever's going on at headquarters."

"General _Ironwood's _involved?" Weiss's eyes widened. "What are they doing over there...?"

Her voice trailed off, and Klein answered simply with another shrug. "However, while we were here, I thought I'd drop by your school, pay you a visit."

Weiss tried to smile, but the wild, silent laughter coming from her comrades stymied her efforts. "Well... as you can see, everything's fine."

"Then why were you in the infirmary?"

"I... that..." Weiss glanced helplessly at the others, at a loss for how to explain the odd events of earlier that day.

"I'm curious about that myself," Ozpin spoke up, taking a sip from his mug. "All I could get from Team JNPR is that there was an accident."

"We... we were..." Yang fumbled for what to say.

"Struck by lightning!" Ruby burst out. "Er... Nora wanted to test her semblance a bit, but we lost control, and got struck too!"

"Is that so?" Ozpin quirked a brow. "She _did _seem somewhat guilty over what happened..."

"She wanted to experiment with lightning dust," Weiss picked up the story. "I _tried _to tell her how volatile it is, but you know her."

"All too well," Ozpin nodded.

"Far be it from me to tell you how to run your school, Ozpin," Klein spoke up, "but perhaps certain students could do with a little more... reigning in?"

"That's what Glynda is always telling me," Ozpin nodded in agreement.

"Is it alright if we go now?" Sun asked, stepping from behind the others. "Nothin' personal, we were just... you know... we were plannin' on payin' Blake a visit."

"I'm certain Ms. Belladonna could use the company," Ozpin nodded. "Very well. You are dismissed."

"Perhaps we will see each other again soon, Mistress Schnee," Klein suggested, bowing deeply. "I'm certain your sister will be delighted to hear that you are doing well."

Turning red again under Klein's formality, Weiss quickly hissed, "There's no need to bow, Klein! Stand up!"

"Ah, but this is treatment befitting of the Schnee name, is it not?" Klein retorted, either not noticing or actively encouraging the smirks returning to Sun and Yang's faces.

"We should get going," Weiss said quickly, turning and shooing her friends out. "Come on, let's go!"

Yang at least had the courtesy to wait until they were out of sight of Ozpin's office before breaking down in laughter. "Maybe 'princess' wasn't so far off the mark after all," she chortled. "Your own butler, huh?"

"A little more than that, thank you!" Weiss scoffed. Her voice softened noticeably. "He... he was like a father to me, growing up- he was always there for me when my _actual _parents weren't."

Weiss felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to see Ruby smiling at her- not Yang's smug smirk or Sun's laughing face, but a quiet, calm, genuine smile. "He seems like a pretty cool guy," she beamed.

Weiss felt her heart warm. "Yes... yes, that he is. I was glad to have him."

Yang pouted. "Aw, come on, Rubes, how am I supposed to tease her after that?"

"You aren't," Ruby fired, closing her eyes halfway and placing her hands on her hips. "Seriously, Yang, can't you go _one _day without teasing us?"

"Where would be the fun in that?" Yang asked. "Come on- let's get going. Time to let _Blake _decide which book she likes best!"

XXXX

It was a short airship ride down to Central Vale, and from there, only a brief walk to Vale Hospital.

A quick check-in at the front desk with people who were already very familiar with them, and they found themselves being led up to the room occupied by their missing friend.

Even Yang's face fell solemn as they entered the room to reveal a young woman laying down in bed, pitch-black hair pooling around her shoulders, eyes currently shut against the outside world. Within the privacy of her room, her bow was removed, revealing the velvety ears standing out atop her head.

The ears twitched as the door shut, and her eyelids raised, revealing pools of amber that flicked over to see them. Her face retained a haunted look, but it brightened slightly upon seeing who it was- just enough to be noticeable. "Hey, guys," she practically whispered. "How's it going?"

"We oughtta be askin' _you _that," Yang teased lightly as she approached. "Any signs of improvement?"

Blake closed her eyes as she looked down towards her legs- covered by the blanket, but ultimately immobile- useless. "It looks... as unlikely as ever."

The atmosphere in the room continued to descend as memories coursed through the four girls' minds- memories of their last true mission together as a team- the night Blake had suffered a near-fatal blow, leaving her crippled- perhaps permanently.

Yang bit her lip. "It's... it's my fault. You took that blow for me-"

"And I'd do it again," Blake objected, firmly as she could muster. "I'm not going to stand by and let my friends get hurt- not when..." Her voice trailed off.

"Not when...?" Yang prompted gently.

Blake shook her head. "Never mind. The point is, if I have to stay in this hospital for a few more months while they figure out what to do, it's still a small price to pay for saving you."

"I hope they've been treating you well," Weiss spoke up.

Blake smiled wanly. "Looks like the Schnee name carries as much weight as ever." She chuckled humorlessly. "Who'd have thought? A Schnee paying the bills for a faunus."

"We're _going _to find a way to make this better, Blake," Ruby piped up, earnest determination filling her silver eyes. "We're _going _to make this right."

Blake bowed her head slightly. Yang took the opportunity to change the subject.

"Hey, Blakey, long as we're here, why not help me'n Sun settle a bet!"

"This sounds dangerous already," Blake commented, turning her attention towards the blond.

Yang grinned as she produced the two books- the thick one she'd discovered, and the thinner one Sun had checked out. "Two books for ya- take your pick!"

Blake glanced from one to the other. "Stephen Greene," she noted, observing the thinner one. "One of my favorite authors. And... Lovecraft," she continued, taking in the thicker one. "A collection of Lovecraft stories." She smiled slightly. "You really know how to put me on the spot- those are two of my favorite authors."

"I think I've heard of Lovecraft before," Weiss commented. "Didn't he hate faunus?"

"Yes," Blake nodded. "He did, but... that doesn't take away the quality of his writing. He inspired an entire generation of literature- including Greene, in fact. Do I really _have _to choose?"

Yang pouted slightly. "You're no fun, you know that?"

"Come on, Yang," Sun butted in. "Let the lady have her books."

Yang conceded, plopping them both down on Blake's lap. She quickly picked them up and hugged them to her chest. "Thank you- _all _of you. You don't know how much this... this..."

"Blake?" Ruby asked concernedly.

Blake was starting to double over, her eyes widening, gasping and wheezing. She fell back on the bed, convulsing, and began to scream.

Within a minute, a doctor and nurse had stormed in and carried her off to Intensive Care, leaving her visitors to wait outside, looking nervously from one face to the other.

"What was _that _about?" Sun asked, pacing restlessly.

"She's never been the same since that mission," Ruby explained mournfully. "That's the biggest reason they keep her here- she keeps having these... these random seizures... heart attacks... I don't know..." She lowered her head into her hands helplessly.

Yang was at her side almost immediately, brushing a hand through her short black hair. "It's okay, Rubes- it's gonna be okay. It's like you said, remember? She's _going _to get better, right?"

Ruby pressed her face into Yang's shoulder as she had so many times when she was younger. "I... I guess so..."

Weiss sat down next to them, holding onto Ruby's opposite shoulder, while Sun leaned against the opposite wall, gazing silently at the door separating them from Blake. "We... we didn't even get to tell her about what happened in the classroom..."

Abruptly, his head snapped up. "Something's wrong."

"What? What do you mean?" Weiss asked, rising to her feet. "With Blake?"

"No... something else," Sun shook his head fervently.

Ruby and Yang both stood up as well- just in time to be nearly thrown off their feet as the entire building began to tremble. "Earthquake?" Yang gasped as she fell back onto the bench, Ruby not far behind.

"There shouldn't be- there was no warning!" Weiss squeaked as she instinctively grabbed onto Sun to keep from falling to the ground herself.

The trembling increased in intensity, before finally dying off. Yang immediately leapt back to her feet. "Blake!" she called, rushing towards the door to Intensive Care.

"Yang, wait, you oaf!" Weiss called after her, leaping to her feet and giving chase. "You can't just- just..."

Sun and Ruby had risen to pursue their companions down the short stretch of hallway, and they all screeched to a halt as one upon seeing the impossible before them.

They had seen Blake rushed through those doors on a gurny to be given the finest treatment for her condition Weiss could pay for. Nevertheless, behind the doors now was nothing but a stretch of unyielding wall.

_XXXX_

The chapters of this story are likely to be significantly shorter than my usual chapters- given Mario Mario and _especially _after coming off of _The Ice Cream Lady. _Love it? Hate it? Feel free to let me know- please R&R, constructive criticism embraced, Gamer4 out.


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